


Because He's My Brother

by BizarreAmy



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: And her relationship with Celegorm, Aredhel is the MVP here, Attempt at Humor, Brotherly Love, Even though Curufin and Huan have background roles they're a major part, Gen, Light Angst, Male-Female Friendship, This is more a study of Aredhel, don't let the title fool you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:20:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26696626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BizarreAmy/pseuds/BizarreAmy
Summary: Celegorm gets a new baby brother, Curufin, to dote upon. And consequently, Aredhel gets a green-eyed monster to fight with.
Relationships: Aredhel & Celegorm | Turcafinwë, Celegorm | Turcafinwë & Curufin | Curufinwë
Comments: 7
Kudos: 28





	Because He's My Brother

**Author's Note:**

  * For [holy_milk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/holy_milk/gifts).



> A birthday gift for the lovely @venwe on Tumblr. This might not be what you had in mind when you said Aredhel, Celegorm and baby Curufin, but this is what you get :D  
> I tried my best to make it funny but angst has a way of creeping into my writing. Plus, I'm rusty and this is the first thing I've written & completed in months so go easy on me!  
> As always, not beta-read so forgive my sins, yeah?  
> Also, I imagine Celegorm to be like 19-ish in human years, Aredhel to be 16, Caranthir 13, and Curufin as 5 or so.

No one had seen it coming. Had it been Maedhros, they might have expected it since he's the eldest. As for Maglor, the answer would've been probably yes. Caranthir? Perhaps not. And Celegorm? Well, if you had asked which Fëanorian brother was most likely to be taken by the baby - before said baby was born - Celegorm would've ranked in the 'definitely not' category. So when Curufin was born and Celegorm took one look at him before asking to hold him and then practically snatched the baby from Feanor's arms in his excitement, everyone was surprised.

Because Celegorm liked the open wilderness than cagey palaces. Because he loved hunting more than playing house. Because he connected more with animals than with elves. Because he would rather wrestle with Huan than entertain an elfling.

Because he was named Tyelkormo and had no patience for babies.

Because.

So to see him stare at baby Curufin like he was the next best thing since Huan, it threw the whole house for a loop. Maglor reasoned that Celegorm was easily obsessed with new things and sooner or later this fascination of his with their baby brother would die out. Only... It didn't. As Curufin grew, so did Celegorm's adoration. The older was present for every firsts and delighted more than even their parents in Curufin's every success. Their relationship was like a duckling and the mother it has imprinted upon, with Celegorm being the duckling and Curufin the mother he was so attached to. Caranthir would've been jealous of their bond, had he not been terrified - mildly, mind you, he was an adolescent now after all - of having all of Celegorm's attention focused on him. The third eldest had some weird ideas for 'fun' and Caranthir was rather happy reading his 'stupid boring' books, no, thank you Tyelko. As an elder brother, he might have had some concerns about Celegorm's influence on the youngest, but frankly, Curufin was a brat and Caranthir refused to have any sympathies for him. The toddler had started to join Celegorm in pranking him - even in the library, it was a sacred place for Valar's sake! Good thing they were now trying their terrible ideas out on the eldest two. Caranthir, for one, had an education to get, and no, Tyelko, knowing how high the poor errand boy can jump when startled was not 'educational', no matter what Aunt Lalwen said.

And Lalwen said a lot. To everyone and no one. About everything and nothing. But Aredhel was a captivated audience to whatever gossip her youngest Aunt had to divulge, like little secrets meant only for her almost adult ears to hear. One such tidbit of gossip had to do with Celegorm - her favourite cousin by far.

"No way!" Aredhel shook her head in disbelief. "He doesn't even like children. And here you're telling me that I've been replaced as his favourite kinsman - nay, his favourite elf! - by his baby brother?"

Lalwen patted her shoulder in consolation, "There, there. I'm only telling you what I've heard and seen, my dear Írissë."

"But. But!" Aredhel was still in denial. "He said I'm the only elf he would ever choose over his beloved animals, except Huan, of course. Not his brothers, not his father, not even his mother! He chose me. Tyelko promised!"

"Ah, my sweet niece. Youth has yet to teach you the greatest lesson ever," Lalwen tutted in faux disappointment, then added in a serious tone unusual for her carefree aura, "Remember Írissë, all nér do is lie."

Aredhel slumped in resignation, "You may be right, Aunt Írimë. But I cannot let this stand! No baby Fëanorion can take my place anywhere. I shall visit Tyelko and rectify this mistake post-haste."

And visit she did. It was easy to persuade her parents to let her go, by saying that she wanted to meet her newest cousin - which wasn't really an excuse since he was the root cause of her desire to visit. And her plea was helped in no small amount by Fingon agreeing to take her to the Fëanorian house - because of course, he did. Part of the reason why she was feeling so betrayed by Celegorm was her own brothers. They both had practically abandoned her. Fingon hadn't been all that attached, in her opinion, because he'd always had Maitimo as a friend. As for Turgon, he had been her preferred sibling until he had gone and met that Vanya. Aredhel didn't really have anything against the elleth - she was lovely overall - but the way her brother would cancel all their plans together in order to spend more time with the Vanya left a bad taste in her mouth. But she consoled herself by thinking that she was at least Celegorm's favourite. She'd thought he wouldn't pick someone else over her. But as always, she knew nothing.

When they'd finally reached the sprawling estate that housed the Fëanorians, Aredhel had marched with all the fury of an elleth scorned to the back gardens where the servant had mentioned Celegorm was. But when she found him sitting under a tree fletching arrows, a rush of fondness swept over her and she forgot all about her grudges with him.

"Tyelko!" she called jovially, rushing towards him.

"Írissë!?" answered a surprised Celegorm, standing up just in time for the younger cousin to fling her arms around him. 

Aredhel sighed in contentment, "Oh, how I missed you, cousin."

"And I you," he said, before spinning her around with his boisterous laughter ringing in the air.

"Stop, put me down!" she giggled, truly, none other could make her happy like he did.

He complied easily, setting her down on her feet. "How has my favourite quendi been?"

A burst of hope then overshadowed her doubts, maybe Aunt Lalwen had been wrong and Celegorm still liked her the best. "Without your presence in my life? Horrible. Why haven't you visited? Nor written any letter. Truly, I should be mad at you right now."

"Ah please, don't be, dearest cousin," Celegorm replied sheepishly. "Time flew by so fast, that I'm afraid I wouldn't have known its passing if it were not for Curvo growing day by day."

And there it was. Not even a minute into his presence and Celegorm was already mentioning his dratted brother. Aredhel felt a sinking feeling in her gut, "Indeed, Curvo - your new brother?"

Celegorm's eyes lit up in response, "Yes. Oh, I forgot you haven't met him yet. But Írissë, he's a delight! You're going to like him, I'm certain."

She highly doubted that. Out of four Fëanorions she had only liked Celegorm, so the fifth didn't have the odds in his favour. "I'll be the judge of that," she muttered sullenly.

But Celegorm didn't seem to notice her dark countenance and simply threw an arm around her shoulders, "Come on." And as he steered her towards where Curufin supposedly was, he kept up a steady stream of anecdotes about the kid. Aredhel tried not to be jealous, she really did, but the blatant tenderness with which he spoke made her insecurities flare up. The final straw came when they finally reached the small clearing and Aredhel saw the elfling perched on top Huan. Celegorm didn't let anyone ride Huan, and even if he did, Huan usually wasn't agreeable. She herself had only gotten one ride after a lot of pleading and bribes promised to her cousin. Yet here was Curufin riding on Huan's back, looking so at ease, as if he did it every day. Which he might very well be doing because Celegorm loved him more than he loved her. And that was what really made it all sink in. She was never going to be anyone's favourite. Not even her own parents who had each picked a son to dote upon. Not Aredhel who they jested should've been named Nerwen as she behaved more like a nér than sweet Artanis ever could. They'd never pick their own daughter. Never her.

"By the Valar, isn't he the cutest?" Celegorm asked rhetorically, a smile playing at his lips as he watched his younger brother direct the hound as if he was a horse.

Any other day Aredhel would've agreed, for the child was the spitting image of Fëanor and the latter wasn't called the greatest of all Noldo for nothing. But in that moment, pettiness overcame her and she snidely commented, "He looks quite ugly to me."

At first, it seemed like Celegorm hadn't heard her, but then he whirled around with outrage in his eyes, "What?!"

Aredhel fidgeted, her cousin can be quite terrifying when angered, but her hurt and jealous heart wouldn't let her backtrack. "Um. I mean. I've seen cuter children. He isn't anything special," she said, and just because she could - added, "I don't see why you've been singing his praises. Your other brothers are more tolerable, even Morifinwë."

Celegorm looked at her as if she'd lost her head, "What has gotten into you, cousin? Why would you judge a child so when you haven't even met him?"

"Well, I've heard enough. He sounds like a brat."

He abruptly turned away from her and she saw him clenching his fists tightly by his side. She knew she'd gone too far now. After a few moments' tense silence, he spoke, "This isn't the Írissë I know."

Anger bubbled up inside her veins too then, "And you aren't the Tyelkormo I know! You said I'm your only friend after Huan. You said I'm the one you love the most. Yet here you are, having replaced me with this... this pest of a child. Am I really so easily replaced?"

He let out a cruel laugh at that and turned to her with a scoff, "Is that what this is about? You're jealous, cousin?"

"I wouldn't be jealous if you hadn't given me a reason to be," she argued, and to her chagrin, she felt tears of frustration well up in her eyes. "I just want to know why."

Celegorm shrugged nonchalantly, "What do you want me to say? He's my brother, Írissë."

"You have three more brothers, yet you never abandoned me for them."

"Because he's my baby brother?"

Aredhel narrowed her eyes at him. His answers were sounding more and more like excuses. And the only thing worse than being replaced would be to be replaced for no valid reason. "Morifinwë is your baby brother too. But you never looked at him like... as if..."

"Like if something happened to him I would kill everyone in the vicinity and then myself?" Celegorm supplied in a wry tone.

A shocked chuckle escaped her lips before she really reacted to the blunt phrasing, "What? No, you can't do that, stupid!" But something about his words rang true, Aredhel knew deep inside that he was absolutely capable of such a murderous feat.

Celegorm sighed, his shoulders losing some of their tension, "I know that. But Curvo is someone I would gladly go to Námo's Halls for. And I'd do the same for you, Írissë. Never doubt that."

"I don't need for you to die to know that you love me," Aredhel assured him, softening despite herself at the reminder of his abundant love. "Why do you have to involve death here, I'd never understand. Love is love, nobody has to die for it."

His gaze turned far away then as if seeing things only he could and Aredhel belatedly realised what had happened to his grandmother and their whole family afterwards. Perhaps love and death weren't so apart, after all. "One day, Írissë," he said, voice contemplative, "you'll have someone you'd be ready to give up your life for. And that day, Námo's Halls wouldn't look so daunting when faced with a life - however short - without that person."

Celegorm's words unsettled her, they had a foreboding quality to it, which she did not appreciate at all. "Someone? Like whom? A little brother?" she replied, trying to lighten the air around them a bit. "I'd rather have a sister. Brothers are overrated anyway."

And her huffing and pouting garnered the desired result as Celegorm's smile returned. "Maybe not a brother. But who knows?" He teased, putting his arm back around her shoulders, "A lover? A friend? A child of your own?"

Aredhel pretended to be disgusted, "Ugh. No, thanks. I'm too young for such things. But you, dear cousin..."

He shrugged again - it seemed to be a new habit because Aredhel had scarcely seen him do it before, "Eh. I'm a lover of the wild. I have a friend in you and Huan. And Curvo is a child for now. So..." Celegorm paused, a brief look of realisation crossing his sharp features, "Perhaps I have everything I need."

A comfortable silence befell them then, both gazing into the distance. Inevitably, their eyes were drawn to the hound and elfling pair absorbed in its own adventures. Aredhel wondered why the two hadn't come to see what they had been arguing about. Surely, they must have been loud at some point, but looking at Huan who was diligently keeping an eye on the elfling trying to climb up a tree, ready to break his fall were he to slip, the answer didn't seem so elusive. That hound was more intelligent than most gave him credit for. No wonder Celegorm cherished him more as a companion than a pet.

"So you don't love him more than me?" Aredhel asked suddenly, glancing up at her cousin timidly. The question took a lot of courage to ask, but she needed answers.

Celegorm gave her a fond smile, placing both hands on her shoulders and turning her body to face him. "Of course not," he replied, making sure to look her in the eye as he said it. "You both possess a different but equal space in my heart. Choosing one would be like choosing between the bow and the sword. I couldn't do it even if I tried."

Aredhel huffed in indignation, "Liar! You would always choose the bow. Maybe not even that, you'd always prefer your spear over bows and swords."

A panicked look overtook his countenance as he realised his error, "Yes, that was a bad analogy. You two are like... Yes! It's like choosing between sheepskin and rabbit fur. Both are-"

"Liar!" She cried out again, shaking his hands off of her shoulders and crossing her arms over her chest. "You'd choose sheepskin because it has far more uses than whatever fanciness rabbit fur could provide," she proclaimed with a self-satisfied nod.

"Um, yes, you're right, dearest Írissë," Celegorm was quick to placate. "Nevermind those analogies. My love for you is incomparable anyways!"

Never let it be said that the wild son of Fëanor wasn't a charmer. Trying to play off her blush at his grand declaration, Aredhel hummed in thought, "Very well. I accept your reasons. Just..." And here she hesitated, "Just promise me that you'll love me the same. Always."

He pulled her into a hug and murmured in her ear, "Of course. I promise. It's impossible for me to not love you, Írissë." She grinned at his words, moving away a bit to look at him. And the sincerity evident on his face only made her happier. "Remember," he added quietly, "You're the friend I chose."

That was true enough. Out of the three people Celegorm loved the most, Aredhel was the only one he had had the freedom to choose. Huan was a gift from his beloved Vala he couldn't have refused even if he wanted to. Curufin was a younger brother he had a filial obligation to. But Aredhel was just a cousin he could have gotten away with avoiding. He does that to her brothers, so it wouldn't be anything unusual. Yet Celegorm had befriended her and said she was his favourite. And Aredhel had chosen him back.

'And maybe it was just enough,' she thought, as she snuggled back into his warm embrace.

Aredhel was someone's favourite, after all.


End file.
